Spoilers: No new spoilers in this chapter, really, though there are some extra references to events in Ep. II.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. I would love it if that changed, but it doesn't seem likely.

A/N: Thanks again to my fabulous beta, Darth Mom!

Slipping Into Darkness

Chapter 17

At first, Anakin saw only blackness. But slowly, light began to infiltrate the shadows, growing until he was nearly blinded by it. He brought his hand up to shield his vision from the powerful glare. After he had adjusted to the brilliance of the light, he opened his eyes and looked up. Twin suns hung suspended in the sky, their intense rays scorching the ground below. Tatooine, Anakin thought with astonishment.

Lately, it seemed that the Force had been acting upon his life in incredible and unexpected ways, and the young Jedi would have assumed that all of these experiences would have given him a greater understanding of the mysterious energy field that had so affected him. But, despite all of this, Anakin now found himself utterly and completely confused. He thought of the fierce battle that he had fought against Palpatine, but nothing in his memory could explain why he now found himself on the desert planet of his birth.

Shifting his gaze to his surroundings, Anakin found the familiar barren landscape of his homeworld. He turned to see the ancient cliffs and dunes that he knew so well from his days of podracing. Can this be real? he questioned. As if in answer, a warm breeze brushed past him, causing grains of sand to pelt against his skin. Well the sand is certainly real enough, he thought with irritation, quickly brushing the specks from his tunic. Still, the momentary distraction did not dispel his confusion. Why would the Force bring me here?

"To remind you of where you came from," a softly accented voice answered.

Anakin froze. That was a voice he had not heard in years, but one which was forever imprinted in his mind. It was the voice that had comforted him as a child, soothing away all his fears and nightmares.

"Mom," he breathed in awe. He spoke softly, fearful that anything more than a whisper would shatter this fragile moment.

"Hello, Ani," she answered warmly.

Anakin turned around slowly, nearly paralyzed with emotion. Tears filled his eyes as he saw her. She looked exactly like she had the day he had left to become a Jedi. Her brown hair was pulled into the same simple style she had always worn, and her eyes still held that same look of gentle wisdom. She smiled at him brightly, and all the love she had for him was clearly written in her expression.

Before he had even realized what he was doing, Anakin ran to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her, never wanting to let go. He felt his mother return the embrace, and for an instant, Anakin felt like the little boy he had been so many years before.

"I've missed you so much, Mom," he said, his voice breaking with every word.

"I've missed you too, Ani," she answered, reaching out to brush the tears from his cheeks as she had always done when he was little. "My son," she added softly.

She smiled up at him, and at once Anakin felt as though a part of his heart had returned. After she been had taken from him, he had thought that he would never feel this way again. But now, they were together once more… Anakin paused. His mother had lost her life that night in the Tusken camp. Did that mean that he was…?

"Am I…dead?"

"No, Ani, you're not dead," she assured him, placing her hand on his cheek. She gave a small laugh and blushed slightly. "I just wanted to see you."

"But then…how…how is this possible?"

"I had a little help from an old friend," she answered.

She smiled again, and suddenly Anakin knew the answer.

"Qui-Gon."

His mother nodded. "He's been very worried about you, but…oh, Ani, I knew that you would do what you were meant to." Shmi brought her other hand to his face, and her expression grew radiant. "I'm so very proud of you!"

Anakin swallowed hard and drew back slightly as guilt and shame swept through him. She had to have known what had happened, how close he had come to falling to the Dark Side. He could have destroyed so many lives and hurt so many people.

"Mom, how can you say that after what I did?" he asked, looking down as bitter tears of regret threatened to fall once more. "I almost betrayed everything that you ever taught me. I…I almost betrayed you."

He turned away, no longer able to face her, his shame burning as brightly as the Tatooine suns. His mother had always taught him to live in the Light, yet he had come so close to embracing the Darkness. He had nearly forgotten everything that she had tried to teach him. And worse yet, he had reveled in the sensation of power, the thrill of casting away the burdens of his conscience. Nothing he could ever do would make that right.

"I…I failed you," Anakin said finally, in a voice he barely recognized as his own.

His statement seemed to echo in the quiet landscape, reverberating within his spirit. He waited for his mother to speak, waited to hear the disappointment in her voice, but that moment never came. Instead, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ani," she said, softly, turning him until his gaze met her own, "I know that you have struggled. But everyone has darkness within them. What is important is that they face that darkness and overcome it. You didn't fail, Ani. You didn't. You beat the most difficult opponent of all: the darkness you carry within yourself. It was because of that victory that you defeated the Sith, and brought balance to the Force. And for that my son, I am forever proud of you."

At his mother's words, Anakin felt a sensation he couldn't describe. It was as though all the pain of the past and all of his worry for the future suddenly evaporated. He felt at peace. His voice seemed to have left him, so rather than speaking, he simply embraced his mother once again, allowing all his love for her to flow through the Force.

He was not certain how long they stood that way, but when they finally released one another, the suns were setting in the distance, bathing the landscape with crimson light. They watched the beautiful sight for a few moments, then his mother turned to him once more.

"It is time for you to go," she said quietly.

"What?" Anakin exclaimed, shock evident in his voice. "But, Mom, there's so much I want to tell you, so much I want to share with you."

Shmi smiled at him once more, though this time the expression was tinged with sadness. "I know, Ani," she said, gently squeezing his arm, "but you must leave. My time has already passed, but you still have a life to live."

Anakin didn't want to accept the words, didn't want to be forced to leave his mother behind once again. "But I miss you so much," he said.

"We will see each other again," she assured him, offering an encouraging smile. "But right now, your wife and children need you."

Padmé, Anakin thought, joy rising within him at her name. Only a short time ago he had thought that he would never see her again, never have the chance to watch their children grow up. But now he could. His mother was right, he realized. He had to go.

"Mom-" he began, but she already knew what he was going to say.

"You don't have to explain Ani, " she said, smiling once more. "Just tell my grandchildren how much I love them."

Although he still felt great sadness, Anakin managed a small smile. "I'll tell them, Mom."

"I will always be with you, Ani," she assured him, " in your heart and by your side. Always remember that." She brought her gentle hand to his face once more. "Now, go, Ani. You do not have an easy path ahead of you, but you must remain strong."

Driving away his sadness, Anakin nodded. "I promise."

With that, Anakin called upon the Force. He let it guide his actions, and a few moments later, he felt himself moving away from his mother's presence. He sent his love to her without ceasing until he could no longer feel her in his mind. Then he shifted his focus outwards. After a moment, he felt something at the edge of his senses.

He focused on it and the sensation began to grow. Suddenly, he became aware of his body. He felt strangely numb and oddly heavy. He couldn't move. He felt a small stab of worry at that realization, but quickly pushed it aside, continuing to concentrate on his task. Finally, his physical senses returned. He forced himself to open his eyes. For a moment, he wondered if he was blind, but then quickly realized that he could not see because the room was dark.

Ignoring the unease growing within him, Anakin blinked several times, then turned his attention to his hearing. At first, he could only discern the sound of the machine monitoring his heartbeat. But as his awareness grew, he heard something that filled him with dread: the cold, mechanical sound of a respirator…

TBC

A/N: The next part will be up on Monday.

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